Mounting apparatus are used as “chucks” in the semiconductor industry for handling of wafers in the production of electrical components in various process steps. Wafers, which are provided with individual component groups (structures), are typically referred to as product wafers. In each process step, it is important that the wafers are quickly, reliably and easily detachably fixed on the mounting apparatus so that handling of the wafers is not a disruption factor for the processing of the wafers. The fixing of product wafers, which have structures thereon, is more difficult the thinner they are and the more pronounced and higher is the topography of the components on the product wafers. Any stress in the wafer is to be avoided as much as possible so that the very expensive structures, which are present on the product wafer, are not damaged. While there are different approaches to fixing, i.e., mounting, a product wafer on the unstructured, flat side thereof, there are a host of technical problems in the fixing of a product wafer on its structured side. Thus, for example, electrostatic fixing is problematic since the electrical circuits of the structures can be destroyed by possible voltage peaks.
Furthermore, it is desirable to handle the electrical structures as free of contamination as possible and without impurity (for example by adhesive).
The object of this invention is therefore to provide a mounting apparatus for mounting and handling, as well as fixing of a substrate in which rapid, safe and careful, as well as reversible and easily controllable, mounting and fixing of the substrate are enabled.
This object is achieved with the features of Claim 1. Advantageous developments of the invention are given in the dependent claims. All combinations of at least two of the features given in the specification, the claims and/or the figures also fall within the framework of the invention. At the given value ranges values which lie within the indicated limits are also to be considered disclosed and claimed in any combination.